Question 1

What is the Customer Experience like at Gentle Wave Car Wash?

Accepted Answer

You should expect a greeting from a trained attendant at the pay station, who will guide you through the wash selection and payment process. Next you will pull forward into the car wash tunnel where a trained attendant will guide you onto the belt. Your main job is to place your vehicle in Neutral when the attendant asks you to do so, take your foot off the brake pedal, take your hands off the wheel, and turn off automatic wipers. We use mild soaps and gentle soft closed foam brushes to clean the outside of your vehicle.  Our dryers are designed to leave your car mostly dry following a drying agent application and final spot-free rinse. Everything happens automatically, and you are on your way in under 5 minutes! After the wash is complete and you exit the car wash tunnel, we encourage you to use our free vacuums.

Question 2

Do I Stay in the Car?

Accepted Answer

Yes.

Question 3

Can I wash with a trailer hitch?

Accepted Answer

Yes, but we will retract our wrap brushes as to not damage our equipment from possibly tangling on a trailer hitch. This means that the rear of the vehicle will not get cleaned as well as the rest of the car. We always recommend removing trailer hitches. If you choose to keep the trailer hitch on, we recommend using our prep area brush to scrub the rear of your vehicle before entering the wash.

Question 4

Will the Vehicle Be Hand-Dried?

Accepted Answer

No, but the drying agent and dryers are very effective. We offer drying towels and other car care products in our vending machine. Or, you are welcome to bring your own towel for hand-drying if you are worried about any drips. Please pull into the free vacuum area if you’d like to give your vehicle a little personal attention. If you do choose to drive off immediately following your wash, any remaining water drops will dry spot-free.

Question 5

Do You Do Interior Vehicle Cleaning?

Accepted Answer

We are an express exterior car wash, so we do not clean the inside of your vehicle for you. However, our team is ready to assist our elderly and/or handicap customers with vacuuming. Please ask an attendant.

Our free self-service vacuum stalls feature high-power vacuums. The parking spaces furthest from the building are 10’ extra-wide for larger vehicles.

Question 6

Is Your Car Wash Touchless?

Accepted Answer

Gentle Wave does offer touchless wash options! Please let the car wash attendant know at the pay station that you'd like a touchless wash, and they will retract the equipment for your vehicle before going through the tunnel.

Question 7

Are Credit Cards Accepted?

Accepted Answer

Absolutely! We take all the major credit cards – VISA, MasterCard, Discover, and American Express.

Question 8

Are Your Cleaning Products Eco-Friendly?

Accepted Answer

Yes!  We use the safest products available in the industry for your peace of mind, and for ours. All of the cleaning agents we use are fully biodegradable. They are safe for both your vehicle as well as the environment.

Question 9

How Much Water Is Saved Using Your Wash?

Accepted Answer

Engineering research reveals that washing a car in a driveway, with a 5/8” hose running at only 50 PSI, uses 10 gallons per minute; meaning people washing their vehicles at home use 100+ gallons of water on average! By comparison, Gentle Wave uses less than 16 gallons. Our express wash uses 15 gallons per wash. Therefore, we use less than half the freshwater required to wash a vehicle in a driveway thanks to our eco-friendly system.
 
Most people forget that wastewater goes directly into our sewers, rivers, and lakes. At Gentle Wave we use v-traps underneath the belt to capture grease, oils, and heavy particles. This allows for these pollutants to be separated out before discharging the waste water into the sanitary sewer system. We use water efficient equipment such as high-pressure nozzles and pumps, allowing us to clean cars thoroughly while conserving water usage.

Question 10

Can You Wash Any Size Vehicle?

Accepted Answer

Just about! If you have any concerns, stop-by our wash and have us check before you go through for the first time.

Below is a list of specifications that would deem a vehicle unable to be washed:
Ground clearance less than 2.5”
Vehicles taller than 7’2”
Overly muddy vehicles
Overly rusty vehicles
Pickups with an open bed containing excessive debris and/or any sort of loose materials
Full-size conversion or work vans with an extended height that exceed the 7’2” limit
Trucks with doubled/dually tires in the back with an overall width greater than 92”
Vehicles with tripod-style mirrors that cannot be folded-in
Pickups with a fuel transfer tank that has protruding hose and/or fill nozzle
Vehicles with an attached rooftop cargo box exceeding our height limit of 7’2”
Vans or trucks with ladders attached
Vehicles with an oversized ladder rack
Vehicles with spike lug-nuts
Vehicles with aftermarket wheel fenders that do not appropriately cover the tires
Commercial trucks without fenders and/or body panels, such as tow trucks or dump trucks

You may also want to discuss with a wash attendant first if you have any of the following problems or features:
Preexisting damage to the vehicle (such as peeling paint, excessive rust, or loose molding)
A crack in the windshield or any of the glass
Objects on your car antenna that could sustain damage (flag, ball, etc.)
Antennas that you cannot lower or remove
Bike or Ski Racks
Aftermarket Rear or Front Spoiler, or Racing Fin
Any aftermarket components glued on, that were not installed by the manufacturer
Loose or Damaged Mirrors

Question 11

Do You Wash Pickup Trucks?

Accepted Answer

The answer is almost always yes. However, for the safety of your truck and the vehicles of others, we do not accept pickup trucks with loose items in the open bed. Please empty the bed area beforehand. Also, if you have dual rear tires, large side-view mirrors that cannot fold-in, or certain types of off-road or oversized tires, we may not be able to accept your vehicle. Raised suspensions must usually be radical in nature in order to make your vehicle incompatible with the wash.

Question 12

Can You Wash My Convertible?

Accepted Answer

Absolutely! Just keep in mind that it is your responsibility to ensure that the roof is properly latched in the closed position before entering the wash.

Question 13

I Recently Had My Car Painted – Can I Get It Washed?

Accepted Answer

Sure, as long as the paint has properly cured. You can ask the body shop if you are unsure of the recommended curing time. For most vehicles, it is 30 days or more. If you just purchased a brand-new vehicle from the manufacturer, the paint should be fully cured before the vehicle is delivered to you – so it is safe to wash from day one. Our cleaners are mild and washing media is close foam based, so there is nothing that can damage properly cured vehicle paint.

Question 14

I Have Alloy Wheels – Can I Use Your Wash?

Accepted Answer

Definitely! There are a few reasons that manufacturers will warn against automatic car washes. This is because some brands use acids than can stain aluminum wheels. Others use plastic or carbon tire brushes that are known to scratch alloy wheels. We do not use acids or damaging brushes, so there is no problem bringing alloy wheels into our car wash.

Question 15

Could the Wash Break My Cracked Windshield?

Accepted Answer

No, there is nothing about the wash that could break a windshield that isn’t already in dire condition. The issue with a cracked windshield stems from changes in temperature. Therefore, during the wash, you may notice that cracks, chips, or other damage gets worse. The fact is that you should always replace a damaged windshield as soon as possible for your safety.

Question 16

Will My Aftermarket Antenna Survive the Wash?

Accepted Answer

If you have an aftermarket antenna for a phone or CB, you should remove it before going through the wash. Our attendants can help you to perform this task.

Question 17

Will My Bug Shield Survive the Wash?

Accepted Answer

Sorry, but no promises on this one. We can’t guarantee the safety of any aftermarket add-on, especially one that is made from plastic. We do find that most drivers who have used our wash with a bug shield have no problems. However, damaged shields may break, and sometimes a stress crack near the screws can virtually impossible to see while the shield is installed. If your bug shield is made from Lexan, it is nearly indestructible, so we recommend this material over plastic.

FAQs

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